Our meeting in April featured a talk by local resident Colin Burnett-Dick, who brought along with him not just one but two Archie Andrews dummies – the original, made in the 1940s, lovingly restored, and a more recently made identical clone.
Colin told us about Peter Brough, the son of an amateur ventriloquist, who began his working life in a department store at 16, teaching himself to throw his voice in his spare time. By the age of 22 he was being booked for the occasional variety slot. During the war he joined the Army as a driver but after being invalided out due to a lung condition joined ENSA, the wartime organisation set up to entertain the troops.
After the war he asked Wally Ridley to become his manager, but was initially refused because his patter was weak and his dummy atrocious. Having eventually convinced Ridley that he had ‘found a voice’, together they hit upon the personality of a cheeky schoolboy for a new dummy. Brough went to Davenports, a magic shop in New Oxford Street and asked them to make a figure to his specification. The final version cost £250 – all Peter’s savings.
He and Archie became well known after numerous radio guest slots on programmes like ITMA but it was the advent of Educating Archie in 1950 which made him a household name. It ran for 10 years. attracting audiences of 16 million, ratings today’s biggest TV names can only dream of. It made stars of its cast: Julie Andrews, Tony Hancock, Hattie Jacques, Benny Hill, Max Bygraves, Dick Emery and Harry Secombe. Scripted by newcomer Eric Sykes and recorded before a live audience the show revolved around the antics of the schoolboy and his tutors, chums, girlfriends and housekeepers.
Archie even seduced royalty, hosting the staff Christmas party at Windsor Castle for 25 years. At the first of these shows in 1948 George VI removed Archie’s head to examine how it worked. As it was put back on Archie quipped: “Sir, I’m the only fellow you’ve ever beheaded in your reign.”
In the post-war era Archie advertised food and clothing coupons and promoted road safety. The Inland Revenue sent a tax demand addressed to Archie Andrews Esquire and when Brough wanted to increase the insurance on the doll, Archie was invited for a medical. On two occasions when Archie briefly went missing it made headline news. The 1950s was the golden age of radio and an attempt to transfer Educating Archie to the television screen in the early 60s was unsuccessful.
Even at the height of his fame Peter Brough worked part-time in the family’s textile business. He retired without explanation from show business in 1961 after the death of his father and ran the family business, commissioning cloth from mills for fashion houses. He died aged 83 in 1999.
In 2005 the family decided to put Archie up for auction in Taunton, Devon. Colin, who at one time had suffered from Automaton phobia (an irrational fear of dolls, wax figures, puppets and dummies), happened to be on holiday in Devon at the time. He decided that he must have Archie, and he and Pauline duly purchased the dummy for £34,000.
He decided to bring Archie out of retirement and found Steve Hewlett, an excellent ventriloquist who had appeared on Britain’s Got Talent. Their first appearance was on Cromer Pier on the birthday of Romey Brough, Peter’s daughter. Peter and Archie’s story was the subject of a radio play “His Master’s Voice” starring Rob Brydon, in 2014 and Colin is in the process of writing Archie’s (auto) biography.
Colin’s talk, including pictures and recordings, followed by opportunities for “selfies” alongside Archie himself, made for a very entertaining evening, thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. In lieu of a fee, the History Group made a donation to Archie’s chosen charity, the Hospice in the Weald.
For the meeting on 27th May Andy Thomas will be giving us a talk on the ‘English History of Freedom’ – such an important part of life in this country for all of us. This will be the last indoor meeting in the current season. For walks and outings during the summer months, see the website www.hartfieldhistorygroup.org.uk or ring the secretary, Mary Lewis on 01892 770409.
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The following notes were excluded from the report of the evening by Linda Graham in order to fit it into the available space in the Parish Magazine but they provide a further insight into a life of ups and downs that helps to round off the story.
“It made him sad because he loved to entertain. He came to life when he was watching Sunday Night At The London Palladium,” says Romey.
A Radio 4 play, ‘His Master’s Voice’, starring Rob Brydon as both Brough and the more squeaky voiced Archie, tells their story.
Colin Burnett-Dick, a company director who paid £40,000 at auction in 2005 for Archie, says: “People always say, ‘A ventriloquist on radio. How daft.’ Peter wasn’t the best ventriloquist. His talent was creating and developing the character of Archie. That’s what millions tuned in to, imagining the adventures of this real boy.” Educating Archie launched the careers of many top names. “He encouraged them to experiment and try new things,” says Burnett- Dick. “The genesis of Dick Emery’s cross-dressing humour was in the show and that was also where Benny Hill began using his West Country accent. A lot of catchphrases came out of the show such as Max Bygraves’ ‘I wanna tell you a story.’ Peter was friendly with Julie Andrews’ parents and when she was 12 he heard her singing when he went over for dinner. At 15 she played Archie’s girlfriend, staying for a couple of years.”
While audiences roared with laughter at Archie’s home life, Brough’s was in tatters. He had married Peggy in 1940. Romey and Chris, 18 months her senior and unrelated to her, were privately adopted soon after birth.
“Mother never showed affection. We were brought up by a series of nannies, each one called Nanny Brough,” says Romey.
“Mother was a terrible snob. She survived on purple hearts [amphetamines] and Valium. When she was on a high she would drag me round all the best department stores buying clothes.”
The couple parted in 1954 but Brough kept it quiet, fearing the scandal would damage his career. Yet he did later achieve happiness.
“I’m so glad he found Liz, his second ‘wife’, who created a happy family for him with two super children,” says Romey. “Of course they were never officially married. I met them once after I’d left home and wondered why my childhood couldn’t have been like that.”
Brough ended his days at a nursing home, Romey recalls: “Joan Collins used to visit and he gave his last ever performance with Archie there, less than a year before he died.
“He was an awful ventriloquist. You could see his lips moving when he recorded his radio shows but the live audience joined in the game. It was part of the fantasy. On TV the magic disappeared.”
Archie lives in Ashdown Forest, East Sussex, with Burnett-Dick and his wife Pauline. “There’s something very special about him,” he says. “He has been handled by everyone from the Queen to The Beatles and he’s absorbed the aura of all these stars. If you meet him you never forget him.”
